Annual inflation accelerates to 2.1 per cent

The country’s annual inflation rate accelerated to 2.1 per cent last month to reach its highest mark in nearly a year, Statistics Canada said Thursday.

The November inflation reading followed a 1.4 per cent increase in consumer prices in October. Last month’s increase was driven by higher costs for gasoline and air transportation, compared with a year earlier.

The result means the annual pace of inflation has now surpassed the Bank of Canada’s ideal target of two per cent following a two-year low of one per cent in June.

The central bank scrutinizes inflation data ahead of its interest-rate decisions. It’s scheduled to make an announcement next month.

Inflation has remained below two per cent for almost all of 2017 and the rate hasn’t been as high as 2.1 per cent since last January.

The report shows that pump prices delivered a major lift to last month’s overall inflation number after rising 19.6 per cent compared with the year before.